'Lost' Star Lands Major 'Criminal Minds' Role

Criminal Minds is apparently still trying to fill the absence left by the big departures of Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore. Now yet another familiar actor has joined the ever-expanding Criminal Minds ensemble cast for season 12. TVLine reports that Harold Perrineau, a frequent TV actor best known for his work on Lost, has joined Criminal Minds in a "major recurring role."

Perrineau, whose most recent TV credit is the Amazon Prime streaming series Goliath, will join Criminal Minds season 12 in the winter. He will play Calvin Shaw, a former FBI agent who was imprisoned for killing one of his informants. In his first episode Shaw will have a "run-in" with a BAU agent and the team will be forced to determined whether or not they can trust him and if he is "a friend or foe."

The good money is Shaw on being a friend, or at least an ally, of the BAU team. His role is described as a major recurring one and the season, so far, has dealt with Mr. Scratch. It is unlikely that Shaw will be another big villain of the season. It is more likely that the team will see him as an ally, although maybe an unlikely or unstable one.

There are certainly a bunch of new characters and actors on the BAU team, though. Season 12 has already seen Paget Brewster and Aisha Tyler promoted to series regulars in the wake of Gibson and Moore's exits. Adam Rodriquez and Damon Gupton have also joined the show as series regulars.

There might not be room for Shaw even in a recurring capacity. It's possible that Criminal Minds is already at the breaking point with new and new(ish) characters. Perrineau's Calvin Shaw could send things over the edge.

But what do you think? Are you excited that Harold Perrineau is joining Criminal Minds? Is this one new character too many for the show? What do you think of Criminal Minds season 12 so far? Is the show adding too many characters to the team?